Key parts of new legislation to combat slavery in the UK – including life sentences for those guilty of people trafficking – have come into force in England and Wales. The Modern Slavery Bill has increased the maximum custodial sentence for offenders from 14 years to life. It also gives courts powers to impose orders [...]

Debris found on the Indian Ocean island of Reunion is to be transported to France to find out whether it is from the missing flight MH370, Malaysia’s prime minister has said. Initial reports suggest the 2m-long object is very likely to be from a Boeing 777, Najib Razak said. The Malaysia Airlines flight – a [...]

Thousands of lorries remain on the M20 in Kent Ministry of Defence land could be made available to help relieve traffic problems in Kent caused by the migrant crisis in Calais, the BBC understands. Plans to make land available are in “very early stages”, sources suggested, with thousands of lorries still queuing on the M20 [...]

The brown dwarf’s aurora is red and up to a million times brighter than the Earth’s northern lights An aurora has been spotted outside our Solar System for the first time, scientists report. An international team detected the light display around a brown dwarf about 18 light years away in the Lyra constellation. They say [...]

France is to send extra police officers to Calais, as migrants say they will keep trying to reach the UK despite the deaths of nine people since June. Migrants told the BBC going in groups of up to 400 gave them the best chance of getting into the Channel Tunnel. Motorists using the tunnel’s rail [...]

French officials are investigating whether a plane part that washed up on the French Indian Ocean island of La Reunion is from missing flight MH370. The Malaysian Airlines Boeing 777 travelling from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing with 239 people on board vanished in March 2014. No part has been found. Experts are quoted as saying [...]

The number of British army personnel has been cut back by 20,000 – three years ahead of target. Ministry of Defence figures show there are currently 81,700 full-time servicemen and women in the Army, down from 102,260 in 2010. More reservists are being recruited but that process has been slow. Former commander Richard Kemp said [...]

England’s health watchdog has put forward new draft guidance to improve the care of adults in their last few days of life. It comes after concerns that misuse of the previous system – the Liverpool Care Pathway – led to some patients being deprived of water and food. The guidelines encourage staff to involve patients [...]

Some 2,000 migrants tried to enter the Channel Tunnel terminal in Calais on Monday night in an attempt to reach the UK, operator Eurotunnel has said. A number of people were injured, a spokesman for Eurotunnel said, without elaborating. Eurotunnel is facing a daily struggle with migrants who attempt to smuggle themselves into Britain, sometimes [...]

Police have launched a criminal investigation after former Deputy Lords Speaker Lord Sewel was filmed allegedly taking drugs with prostitutes. The Metropolitan Police said it was looking into “allegations of drug-related offences involving a member of the House of Lords”. It said a search warrant was executed at 18:00 BST at a central London address [...]